Inter Arma

Sky Burial (Relapse Records)
release date: 3/19/2013
by Scott Hefflon

Inter Arma are in no hurry on the nearly ten-minute “Westward.” It takes a few minutes for them to be satisfied with the doom-drenched plod before adding additional elements, like a faint roar in the distance. Then they tear it up, howling, and piece it back together, one slamming beat at a time. Few more minutes in, you realize the howling is verses and choruses, a bit more present, but still as undefined as dark, fleeting images in a sweaty nightmare. Almost 9 minutes in, the guitarist feels like soloing for a while, so he bends and divebombs behind the wall of dirge, surely giving Kerry King the creeps.
(www.relapse.com)